Wade glanced over with a wink and Noah’s heart fluttered like a dove released from captivity.
All his attention turned back to the car, like it had been on him last night. Wade cared how things worked, every little piece had its part, its role. Needed to be tended. Loved.
For hours Noah had talked about birds, and Wade listened as if each fact brought them closer.
Passers-by paused to take in the glorious sight of a fit body murmuring loving words to his car, and Noah straightened and stepped closer, blocking their view.
“There, all done,” Wade said, pulling up.
They looked at one another. Noah raised a brow, and Wade’s dark eyes turned sheepish as he realised the jig was up.
He ran a hand through his hair. “I couldn’t stand it if you took that run-down apartment.”
Noah lowered the bonnet and stepped close. “Well, that’s clarified one thing.”
“What?”
“I play you better than you play me.”
Laughter warmed Noah, almost as much as the knowledge Wade had done it because he cared. Of course, the ruse didn’t have to extend overnight, and it begged the question . . .
Noah stole Wade’s keys. “I think I’ll drive the first stretch.”
Wade gave in with a laugh. Inside the car, a shrill beep came from the dashboard where Wade had tossed his phone.
‘Luc’ flashed on the screen, which lit briefly with a message. Only part of it—a preview—but Noah’s brain processed the words before he could pull his gaze away.
Finding someone special is . . .
Breath entered Noah’s lungs sharply and tingled through his veins. He leaned back against the sheepskin, gazing at Wade’s fast fingers as he checked the message.
Wade’s smile faltered.
The car started—smoothly—and Noah peeled away from the curb. They crawled through Cubworthy until they hit the state highway, and the small town slowly winked out of sight. Another world.
Would they bring some of that magic back to Port Ratapu with them?
Noah changed into top gear, and eyed Wade’s crunched expression. “You’re quiet.” Are you okay?
Wade murmured. “Have you ever had a friend who, no matter what, would do anything for you?”
“No matter what?”
“Even cover up a murder.”
“I very much hope this is hypothetical.”
Wade laughed, but it was brief. He threaded a hand through his hair and frowned toward the horizon. “Maybe not murder. Anything else but.”
“You’ve met Zach, right?”
Another chuckle. “Luc is like that. He’s always been there for me.”
“So why the down face?”
“Nothing . . . it’s nothing. He’s just. I’ve known him forever, he’s like another limb. I wouldn’t know what to do without him.”
“Sounds like someone you want to keep in your life.”
“Desperately.”
Noah nodded. “Are there any particulars you want to tell me? You can ‘hypotheticalise’ if you like.”
Wade glanced at him, dimple soft at his cheek. “He’s moving back to Port Ratapu. He wants me to help him with his stuff.”
“Driving?”
“To New Plymouth, yeah. Next week.”
“Will you?”
“Always. But . . .”
“But?”
“He also wants me to flat with him.”
“Ah. And you want to stay with Franny? Save your pennies?”
Wade shifted on his seat. “I have a dream, yeah.”
“Surely if he’d do anything for you, he’d understand?”
Wade hummed, fingers bouncing on the car door in time to his thoughts.
Bush flashed past them, giving way to rolling pastures and a sky streaked with purple.
“I’m not sure, Noah.”
His quickly fading smile was unsettling.
Noah opened his mouth to probe further but Wade cut over him with tight jollity. “We’ve got a long drive back. Tell me more about you. Your family. Explain Zach.”
Noah laughed. “The drive isn’t long enough.”
Sensibility
~Zach~
Holy fucking shit. What if the man of his dreams didn’t exist?
What if his brother was right?
What if not everyone got an HEA?
Every time Zach thought he’d found a potential candidate, he found himself shoved out of bed the next morning. It was happening right now—the door clicking shut behind him.
Good for a shag, but never to bag.
Oh God.
This was a disaster. Zach’s heart was fucking breaking. No, shattering.
He could see it on the frosty pavement all around him, a million and one red shards that no one could put back together again.
It wasn’t supposed to be so hard, finding a clever, funny, decent, well-earning, sexy man.
This was . . . this was Noah’s fault. His own brother had set the bar too high. The rarest of jewels. And he was a relative.
A bus puffed up the road and sagged to a stop, and Zach didn’t want to think too much about how closely he currently resembled that bus.
He slunk inside and winced as he sat.
If screwing didn’t feel so mind-blowingly fantastic, he’d plug his hole till someone truly promising showed up. Proved their worth.
Actually, maybe he should just do that.
This arse is closed for emotional maintenance.
He’d make a t-shirt.
The bus chugged through the town centre, past the nightclub he’d DJ’d at, past pretty homes that he and Noah couldn’t afford, and past—
